Preservation, Rehabilitation, and Management of Heritage Wetlands in Mexico - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 159

11 Preservation,

Rehabilitation,and
ManagementofHeritage
WetlandsinMexico *

CONTENTS
Introduction............................................................................................................ 173
Pantanos de Centla ................................................................................................. 174
History and Description .................................................................................... 174
Environmental Threats ...................................................................................... 175
Park Management.............................................................................................. 175
Nature Center .................................................................................................... 180
Xochimilco............................................................................................................. 184
History and Description .................................................................................... 184
Destruction ........................................................................................................ 191
Cultural Significance 191
Environmental Restoration and Regeneration of Natural Capital..................... 192
Ecological and Recreational Parks.................................................................... 197
Lessons for the Iraqi Marshlands ...........................................................................206
Pantanos de Centla ............................................................................................206
Xochimilco........................................................................................................206
References..............................................................................................................209

INTRODUCTION
Parallels for the environmental situation in southern Iraq have been sought for and
voiced by several scientists within the international community. Usually these case
studies have been proposed based on what is perceived to be either a hydrological
(e.g., the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam) or restoration scale (e.g., the Everglades
in Florida) similar to that in Iraq. Indeed, Iraqi scientists have even been taken on
tours of the latter site to better prepare them for undertaking their important work
upon returning home. Restorative redevelopment, however, such as that taking place
within Iraq, is really a form of what might be called “regenerative landscape design”
( sensu France 2008), and therefore has as much to do about rebuilding human com-
munities as it does about rebuilding ecological ones (Nicholson and Clark 2002;
France 2007). In this regard, I would like to suggest that there are historical and

* Authored by Robert L. France

173